Free Advice
by Marie Nomad
Summary: In the 4th Act of MGS4, Johnny and Snake talk while preparing for the final mission. Spoilers!


Free Advice

All characters belong to Hideo Kojima. I am not making any money from this.

Free Advice

By Marie Nomad

Snake sighed as he lay on his cot on the Missouri trying to get some rest while the ship goes towards Outer Haven and quite possibly his final battle. Otacon was in the next room working on his suit. He wanted to repair it and get it ready for Outer Haven and its microwave corridor.

"What about extra lining?"

"No, that would interfere with the nanos controlling the artificial muscles. He would get slower."

"Oh. What about putting extra fibers around the artificial muscles and that could provide protection?"

"Possibly. But we don't have the time or the resources to do this."

"Aww."

Snake put on his normal outfit and looked in to see Akiba and Otacon working together. He didn't know what to think about the kid. Akiba was a strange guy who managed to live through Shadow Moses, Big Shell, and didn't seem affected by that weird attack on the nanomachines by Liquid in the Middle East and Europe. At the same time, he was a complete goofball who just didn't function with the rest of Meryl's rat patrol.

Akiba's portable rang and the kid paused to answer. "Yes?"

"Hello, this is Moden. I'm not going as part of the strike force."

"What? What do you mean you can't be part of the strike team?"

"This mission… I don't have real experience and without the system, I can't do it."

"But… you can fight. Besides, we have Snake on our side, he's a legend."

"He's old."

"He may look old but this guy can do anything!"

Snake grumbled to himself, Akiba still acts like a worshipping rookie.

"He was on oxygen during the briefing. He's in no shape to fight."

"He's just a little worn out." Akiba defended. "Just give him time to rest and he will show you what he can do. He… he defies the odds all the time. One time, he escaped from a cell using nothing but a ketchup bottle."

"How do you know that?"

"I was the guard tricked by him."

Silence came over the radio, finally it clicked off. "Hello?" Akiba tapped on his wearable. "Damn it!" He slammed his fist on the table.

"You don't have to defend me like that, kid." Snake finally said as he walked through the door.

Akiba blushed as looked away. "I didn't know you were there."

"Snake! You should be resting! You will not get any better if you are walking around acting as if nothing is wrong!" Otacon scolded.

Snake grumbled as he sat down in the chair. "I was bored."

"Why don't you go and visit Meryl? She's doing some last minute training in the VR center. Kinda getting used to fighting without the system." Akiba explained.

Snake grumbled. He didn't want to be seen anywhere without the suit. It wasn't like he was vain or anything, it was just that he didn't want to be outside with his decreased muscle mass so obvious. "No thanks."

"Oh." Akiba shrugged. "Snake, I… well… I don't know if we are going to survive this mission but I just want to say that I really admire you and you have done so much that I can never do."

"He… HA HA HA!!" Snake laughed and then started coughing hard. Otacon grabbed a nearby oxygen tank and put the mask over his friend's face.

"I'm sorry." Akiba looked away. "I know that sounds stupid coming from someone like me. I'm used to being laughed at."

Snake took a chance to breathe some sweet oxygen and pulled the mask away. "It's not like that. I can name several things that you can do that I can never do."

"Like what?"

"You can live to see next year, if you survive this mission, if fate was kind to you. I won't even live to see the next Christmas."

"What?"

"I was born with a shorter lifespan than most people that was how I was made. I can't have children, I can't be cloned either. In a way, I kind of envy you because you can be 'normal' and lead a normal life." Snake didn't know what made him talk like that. He could blame nostalgia or the stress of the final battle or the fact that he was getting soft in the head from old age.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Snake grumbled and took a deep breath. "What are you doing after all this is over?"

"I don't know. I… I had this crazy idea, a dream of mine that I have for the longest time…" Akiba started to pace. "It's stupid every time I think about it. I don't think I have a chance of my dream."

"Nah. You're young. You have a dream, you should try to reach for this dream of yours or you won't live. Time is precious, I should know. Go for your dream."

"You're… you're right." Akiba clenched his fist. "I've been a coward for too long. The first chance, I'm going to do it! I'm going to fight my hardest in this next mission so I can ask Meryl to marry me!"

There was a heavy moment of silence as the two friends stared at the bowel challenged techie. Then, Akiba saw the old man's stunned face. "Oh… I'm sorry. I forgot that you and Meryl had a relationship."

Snake pondered. He was jealous of Akiba for the fact that he's younger, cuter, and more human than him. But in three months, he will become a walking plague that could kill anyone near him. "I have no future. I have no say in who Meryl marries or not, if she wants you, go ahead."

"Thanks!" Akiba smiled again and then sighed. "I'm a little nervous though. I… I'm nothing like you, I'm not a really good combat fighter, I hate killing. I'm best with tech stuff."

"Maybe opposites attract." Otacon spoke up. "Look at me and Snake. I am an ex-otaku and he's a mercenary, we have very little in common but well… look at us. You and Meryl are the same way." Otacon emphasized his point by putting a friendly arm around Snake's shoulders.

Akiba nodded and his eyes widened. He couldn't believe that he didn't see it before. It was so obvious why Meryl and Snake broke up in the first place. "Oh. Okay… oh…" Akiba started to back up. "I won't tell Meryl, I promise."

"Huh?" Snake was confused. What exactly was the kid talking about?

"I swear, I had no idea you are that way."

"What way?"

"You know." Akiba put his index fingers together. "You and Hal… together… partners."

"Yeah, we've been partners for nine years."

Otacon promptly dropped his arm and scooted away. "Snake! He's not talking about that kind of partner!"

"He's not?"

"No!" Otacon found himself wanting to bang his head on a nearby table. Snake had always been a little bit oblivious when it comes to normal stuff like relationships and hobbies. There are times when he wondered how he could be a world class mercenary/spy. "He thinks that we are together. Yaoi."

Snake's eyes widened as he heard the word. Living with an otaku for so long, he picked up some anime terms. With astonishing speed for a dying old man, he grabbed Akiba by the vest and shook him. "I'M NOT GAY!"

Akiba gulped as he pulled himself away. "I… oh… I gotta go and use the bathroom." He promptly skittered away.

After the young techie left, Snake collapsed onto the floor breathing heavily. "What was that kid thinking? What made him think that we are… involved?"

"I don't know but you really showed some strength back there."

"I think its more adrenaline than anything else. Do you think that Akiba would go through with this crazy plan to propose to Meryl?"

"I don't know. He really seems smitten by Meryl."

"Ugh. Meryl's going to kill me if this mission doesn't. Hmmm." Snake pondered a death by Meryl.

"Snake…" Otacon growled.

"What?"

"Nothing, let's go and make sure you survive this mission. Go back to bed." Otacon took Snake back to his cot to get ready for the final mission.

The End


End file.
